The law firms of the leading lawyers

Consulting Experts

The consulting firms listed below are home to a number of experts who are classed as leaders in their respective fields. Encompassing expert witnesses, economists, forensic accountants and trust advisors, each firm is regularly called upon to provide both advisory and contentious services to law firms and companies worldwide.

1 Compass Lexecon

2 Charles River Associates

3 RBB Economics

4 KPMG

5 FTI Consulting

6 PwC

7 Berkeley Research Group

8 NERA Economic Consultant

9 Deloitte

10 Navigant

11 EY

12 Alvarez & Marsal

13 Oxera

14 Bates White

15 Cornerstone Research

16 The Brattle Group

17 Grant Thornton

18 Frontier Economics

19 AlixPartners

20 Haberman Ilett

21 Kroll

22 RBC Wealth Management

Compass Lexecon is a global economic consulting company headquartered in Chicago. It employs over 400 individuals across its 17 offices, including 135 PhD economists, as well as former chief economists at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and numerous high-profile academic affiliates, including Nobel Prize winners. The firm’s professionals provide analysis and expert witness testimonies in competition cases and international arbitrations – over 35 are listed as leaders in our respective competition and arbitration editions. The size and depth of its expertise is well served in tackling some of the largest and most complex disputes around.

The firm is particularly well regarded for its antitrust expertise and is named our Competition Economics Firm of the Year. Last year the firm acted in 125 merger-related matters and 317 antitrust litigations, including mergers between US Airways and American Airlines, and Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

In Washington, DC, Janusz Ordover is our two-time Competition Economist of the Year. He previously served as the deputy assistant attorney general for economics at the DOJ and on the White House de-regulation task force. He is described “a titan” in his field and has consulted on international matters for clients such as US Airlines, Yahoo!, IBM, Oracle, Rio Tinto, Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Exxon/Mobil, American Electric Power and American Express. Daniel Rubinfeld is equally held up as “one of the US’s leading economists”; he also served as the deputy assistant attorney general for economics at the DOJ and is regularly engaged in major antitrust litigation. Head of Compass Lexecon Europe Jorge Padilla shines in our research. He holds an international reputation for his work proving expert testimony before the competition authorities and courts of several
EU member states.

Charles River Associates is a global consulting firm headquartered in Boston and London, with a further 12 offices in the US and another five in Europe. The firm provides economic consultation to major law firms, corporations and governments in major competition law cases in the US, Europe, Australia, and Canada. With over 150 competition economists the firm is almost unrivalled in its capacity to advise on some of the largest cross-border mergers and antitrust disputes. CRA’s significant clients include Google, Deutsche Bank, Visa Europe and Samsung.

The firm’s professionals are some of the leading economists in their respective countries. In London, Global Competition Review’s Economist of the Year Cristina Caffarra heads the competition team in Europe. She is described as “a rainmaker” with clear visibility before the EU Commission and national authorities and courts. In Washington, DC, Steven Salop is a recognised leading authority on microeconomics, antitrust, competition and regulation. Respondents describe him as “a well-known name” and “deeply respected by everyone in the field.”

Margaret Sanderson leads CRA’s global and Canadian competition practice. She is regarded as a “dominant player” in antitrust matters; she previously headed the economics unit at the Competition Bureau, and has since testified in numerous antitrust matters before Canadian courts and regulatory authorities, and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

RBB Economics has a multinational team of purely competition economists. The firm continues to grow its international presence with two new offices in Stockholm and Madrid in addition to its four already established European offices, and its centres in Johannesburg and Melbourne. RBB’s 67-strong team undertakes cases in most jurisdictions across the world with a number of particularly noteworthy matters, including Google’s EU dominance case and numerous Phase II mergers, including the ongoing Eurotunnel/Sea France tie-up.

In London, Derek Ridyard stands out as “a thoughtful and highly experienced competition economist and a fantastic individual to work with”, according to feedback. He has over 25 years’ experience in competition matters; he formerly worked in the Office of Fair Trading and has since represented the likes of Scandinavian Airlines, Ticketmaster, Unilever and Coca-Cola in hearings.

In Brussels, Simon Bishop is regarded as “a big hitter with real gravitas and industry respect”. In particular, clients respond well to his ability to “take things back to first principles so as to build a case on solid foundations”. Previously a senior economist at the Swedish Competition Authority, Niklas Strand is regularly endorsed as “a leading figure in Sweden” and is active on numerous high-profile cases as an expert witness.

The accountancy giant KPMG is home to numerous leading arbitration expert witnesses, competition economists, forensic experts and due diligence accountants in our research, who hail from its international offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

John Ellison is formerly the chairman of the firm’s forensic accounting department and now acts as a consultant. He is considered to be “a pioneer of the expert witness practice” and now is engaged in arbitrations across the globe. Many respondents find him to be “head and shoulders above everyone else”. Kathryn Britten is UK chairman of KPMG Forensic and is one of the country’s most senior accountancy expert witnesses, having written hundreds of reports and given oral evidence on many occasions. Respondents describe her as “a hugely experienced and technically assured accounting expert” and “a leading choice for any arbitration raising serious financial accounting issues”. Jean-Luc Guitera heads KPMG’s forensic team in Paris with responsibility for fraud and compliance investigations, M&A and commercial disputes, and international arbitration in relation to France and Francophone Africa. He is rated highly by clients, who described him as “the best of the list” and “very commercially savvy”.

Global business advisory firm FTI Consulting provides an impressive level of expertise across its 28 offices located on six continents. Its professionals provide financial, forensic, economic, technology and strategic communication services to the top financial institutions, corporations and law firms globally. Global Arbitration Review identified FTI as the busiest firm in relation to expert testimonial and opinion work last year: its experts have been involved in 48 hearings and a further 110 cases that have not reached a hearing or are pending. FTI is named our Arbitration Consulting Firm of the Year for its outstanding practice.

Chris Osborne is co-chairman of the EMEA region, head of the European economic and financial consulting group, and the European forensic and litigation consulting group. He is extensively experienced, having been an expert in over 150 cases, including in ICC, UNCITRAL and ICSID arbitrations. Head of the Paris team James Nicholson has testified before commercial and treaty tribunals in relation to high-value disputes. He is “the most respected witness I know,” according to one client, who adds that “he always does an outstanding job and has a fantastic grasp of difficult problems”. Mike Pilgrem is highly regarded as an expert in post-M&A and finance-related disputes. Respondents effusively note that “he is a delight to work with” and “the most intelligent person I have worked with or against”.

PricewaterhouseCoopers offers a global coverage with offices in 157 countries. Respondents often remark on the technical abilities of its expert witnesses, who provide analysis and testimonies in a wide range of commercial, insurance, competition, tax, investment treaty and financial disputes. The firm has an unsurpassed complement of due diligence accountants and forensic accountants with over 60 listings in our respective expert sections.

Head of PwC’s international arbitration practice Gerry Lagerberg is a forensic accountant specialising in financial investigations in claims and legal proceedings. Peers and clients regard him as “a class act”, praising both his intelligence and his “sensible and pragmatic” approach.

Michael Hammes leads PwC’s dispute services team in Germany and has been involved in numerous commercial, insurance and investment treaty disputes, as well as in fraud and breach of duty investigations. One source stated, “He is superb, very thorough and assured in his delivery.”

Berkeley Research Group provides expert consultancy on a global scale with offices in the US, Asia, Australia, Canada, Latin America and the UK. Many of the firm’s 500-plus professionals have strong academic backgrounds and have previously served in senior government positions. In particular, the firm excels in international arbitration, including breach of contract, damages, post-M&A, supply contracts and other commercial disputes, as well as in antitrust litigation and related-merger matters.

Co-founder and chairman David Teece is a highly regarded competition economist, who “brings great gravitas and no small amount of technical brilliance to proceedings”. Chartered accountant and barrister Richard Boulton QC is chair of the firm’s UK office and ranks highly in our arbitration expert witness section, particularly in regard to the assessment of complex damages. He is a “household name” among his peers and is highly recommended for his longstanding expertise.

NERA Economic Consulting provides an outstanding service in competition law matters with over 130 economists across its North American, European and Asia-Pacific offices. The firm handled 60 mergers from July 2014 to July 2015 and a further 43 antitrust litigations. Its reputation is for effectively handling complex and challenging matters is widespread; the firm has worked with numerous global law firms and has been involved in matters concerning 96 companies in the Fortune 100.

Former attorney at the antitrust division of the DOJ Andrew Joskow is one of the best-known and celebrated names in completion policy matters. He is extensively experienced in mergers, cartels and abuse of dominance cases before the DOJ, the FTC and the federal district courts. Lawrence Wu, who was previously an economist at the FTC, is similarly highly regarded by international peers and clients. Recent matters include analysing the degree of anticompetitive pricing resulting from Zillow’s Acquisition of Trulia.

Deloitte provides a world-leading expert witness service over all stages of a dispute in relation to such areas as breach of contract, price disputes, antitrust, loss of profits and financial service disputes, as well as in fraud and regulatory investigations. It earns particular recognition as our Investigations Forensic Accounting Firm of the Year, and is also home to our Accountant of the Year, Alan Stewart. Based in Toronto, Stewart is praised for his “innate ability to make the complex understandable” and clients are effusive in their praise of his work in investigations in Canada.

Andrew Flower, who moved to London from the firm’s Paris office last year, is the global head of Deloitte’s dispute consulting service line. He has over two decades worth of experience in international arbitration under most of the major institutional rules. His experience and technical expertise is widely held to be “first-rate”. Neil Hargreaves leads Deloitte’s forensic practice in the Middle East. He is extensively experienced in quantifying damages in insurance claims, litigation and arbitration matters. Clients have “no hesitation in recommending him as an independent expert” he is reportedly “patient and most importantly capable of explaining complex and technical issues in comprehensible terms”.

Internationally acclaimed business consultants Navigant provide clients with support in a wide range of commercial disputes, regulatory investigations and competition related matters. The firm has offices in nearly 50 cities across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and boasts a large global practice and involvement in numerous high-profile disputes.

Brent Kaczmarek leads the firm’s international arbitration group. He is considered “an undisputed leader in investment valuation arbitration” and has been appointed as an expert in more than 20 cases where damages exceed $1 billion. James Langenfeld heads the antitrust and competition practice at the firm and has provided testimonies before competition authorities and the courts in the US and internationally. He was previously director for antitrust at theFTC and is universally held to be “a leading authority”.

In Singapore, Jon Prudhoe specialises in the resolution of complex construction disputes in the region. He is viewed as “a go-to” for offshore oil and gas disputes. Clients are impressed by his “hands-on approach” and his “excellent preparation”.

As with the other Big Four accountancy firms, EY ranks among our most highly regarded for its in-depth resources across all the main expert segments of our research; this is particularly in relation to its global team of leading forensic accountants. Richard Indge leads EY’s dispute service team in the UK and provides expert testimony in relation to forensic accounting and damages valuation in a number of sectors, including financial services, oil and gas and construction.

In Hong Kong, Trevor Dick is a leading forensic accountant in the region, providing testimonies to the Hong Kong High Court and various international arbitrations and in financial investigations. One source reported that “feedback from the client was very positive; he was technically precise and very hands-on”. David Kilshaw is our Private Client Trust and Advisory Services Professional of the Year and is seen as a “weapon in the firm’s armoury” due to his “international profile” and “strong technical abilities”.

Alvarez & Marsal has a globally expansive network of professional consultants. Its global forensics, disputes and investigations can lay claim to a varied team, including forensic CPAs, chartered accountants, fraud examiners, former senior government officials, former Big Four partners and PhD economists. A&M assists corporations, governmental agencies and law firms around the world in high stake disputes and investigations.

In Houston, the “first-rate” Laura Hardin is experienced in damage quantification for both investment treaty and commercial matters. Respondents find her to be “very dedicated” with “excellent oral testifying skills”. As co-head of the firm’s international arbitration group and leader of the German global forensic practice, Alexander Demuth is extensively experienced in party-appointed or tribunal-appointed international arbitration with a focus on post-merger, commercial and IP disputes. He is highly endorsed by fellow peers and disputes lawyers internationally.

In London, Luke Steadman is a very experienced expert witness, accustomed to providing both written and oral testimonies in disputes across Europe, Asia and the United States. One source notes that “He is absolutely brilliant – very assured and creative”.

Oxera ranks highly in our research for its outstanding team of competition economists and academic associates in its offices in London, Oxford, Brussels and Berlin. The firm handles the full range of merger-related matters, quantification of damages, state aid investigations and abuse of dominance cases. The 55-strong team of competition economists handled almost 50 antitrust litigations last year, with matters involving Air Cargo, MasterCard, Microsoft, Virgin Media, Royal Mail and the Co-op Group. One respondent, who had work with the team on a major airline case, remarked: “They were extremely good to work with, responsive and very knowledgeable.”

Practice head Helen Jenkins is extensively experienced in applying economic principles to competition disputes. According to feedback, “She is absolutely top of the range and highly respected by all parties”. Recent experience includes expert evidence in the High Court for AstraZeneca’s defence against a damages claim. Fellow practice head Gunnar Niels has advised such companies as Deutsche Bahn, Nokia, Mars, Belgacom and MasterCard, as well as government bodies and the European Commission and has provided expert testimonies across the world.

Bates White is a US-based economic consulting firm offering expert testimony services to law firms, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. The firm boasts 84 competition economists who cover all main areas of mergers and antitrust disputes. Its close relationship with E.CA Economics also ensures that it has a presence on European and cross-border matters. Key involvements in 2015 include providing expert analysis to the US Federal Communications Commission on the Comcast/Time WarnerCable tie-up.

In the firm’s DC headquarters, Joseph Farrell is a former director at the FTC’s Bureau of Economics and rated highly by peers and competition practitioners for his “undisputable prominence”. As an experienced expert witness, he is often retained by the US government agencies, major law firms and blue-chip companies.

Michael Whinston is one of the leading scholars in competition economics; in addition to his current position as professor of economics at MIT he has held visiting position at Oxford University, the University of Chicago and Yale University, as well as for the DOJ’s antitrust division. He recently provided testimony on behalf of the DOJ in support of the successful challenge of Electrolux’s proposed acquisition of General Electric.

Cornerstone Research is a leading economic and financial consultancy firm with offices across the east and west coasts of the US, as well as in London. The team of 98 competition economists are filled with notable academics and former government economists. Cornerstone’s list of notable cases and mergers is extensive, including being retained by Skadden for expert analysis of the GE/Alstom merger; and to address class certification issues In re Skelaxin (Metaxalone) antitrust litigation.

Timothy Bresnahan is a former deputy assistant attorney general and chief economist at the DOJ’s antitrust division, and ranks among the most highly thought of competition economists in the US. His particular area of expertise lies in the economics of technology. Notable matters include advising on Google’s purchase of ITA Software and the Intel/McAfee merger. Aviv Nevo joined the team in 2014 after a term as deputy assistant attorney general at the DOJ. Respondents find him to be “extremely bright”, “highly articulate”, as well as “thoughtful and focused”.

The Brattle Group is prominently involved in transatlantic competition economic expert analysis, and expert testimonies in international investment treaty and commercial arbitrations. The firm is established in Washington, DC, San Francisco and London, and more recently in Madrid, Rome, New York and Toronto with over 300 professionals. Brattle counts many of the world’s major global firms, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies as its clients.

In London, the “excellent” Carlos Lapuerta is frequently called upon to act as an expert witness in international arbitration proceedings, particularly in relation to investments and contracts in the energy sector.

In DC, Daniel McFadden is “a preeminent scholar” in competition economist and a Nobel Prize winner in Economics. He is universally recommended among colleagues and competition lawyers for his analysis and testimonies in complex antitrust litigation.

Global accountancy and consultancy firm Grant Thornton is a leading centre of dispute resolution, forensic accounting and investigation services. Its disputes team has been expert witnesses on claims worth over $100 billion covering a broad range of expertise and international arbitrations under different rules.

Nick Wood is our Asset Recovery Expert of the Year and is “simply sensational at what he does” according to clients. He is an insolvency practitioner with more than 25 years’ experience tracing and recovering hidden assets. Head of international arbitration Colin Johnson is described as “our quantum expert of choice” by respondents. He is active in large energy arbitrations and respondents found him to be “very professional and a pleasure to work with” as well as providing “a quick turnaround and consistently high quality of work”. Forensic partner Nick Andrews has been an expert accounting witness in more than 200 cases. He is described as “very diligent, pragmatic and extremely professional”.

Frontier Economics is one of Europe’s leading destinations for consultants on competition-related matters. The team of over 70 competition economists has had a busy year with seven ongoing government investigations in the UK and Europe. The firm was retained by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch in relation to the EU’s credit default swaps. In mergers, it is active in the EuroTunnel/Sea France tie-up and Vodafone’s acquisition of Neotel in South Africa. Respondents praised the team’s sense of “professionalism and responsiveness”.

Practice head Zoltan Biro is enormously well respected and unanimously endorsed in our research. Over the last 20 years he has been active in some of Europe’s most noteworthy cases. David Parker is reportedly very active in domestic and EU competition litigation and comes highly recommended for his “excellent advice and oral testimony skills”. Prominent clients include, Tesco, First Group, Lloyds Bank, Hewlett Packard, Caterpillar, Rolls Royce, ITV and the Premier League.

AlixPartners specialises in providing economic and financial consultancy on high-profile disputes and investigations across the US, Europe and Asia. The firm employs highly experienced economists, accountants and forensic experts, many of whom are leading academics or former government officials.

Kai Schumacher specialises in providing testimonies in commercial and investment treaty arbitration. One practitioner highly recommended him and qualified it by stating that “He is an ‘expert’ witness with a great sense for the most important issues of a case, and he provides his written and oral reports in a very clear, precise and comprehensible manner.”

Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Mat Hughes was an economist at the UK Office of Fair Trading and chief economist at Ashurst. He regularly acts for clients before national and EU competition authorities on phase two merger and market investigations. Sources are extremely positive in relation to his “thorough command of case documentation” and his “hands-on approach”.

Founded in 2013 by two leading accounting expert witnesses, Haberman Ilett is a “go-to destination in the UK” for commercial, contractual and investment treaty disputes. Our Arbitration Expert Witness of the Year Philip Haberman is a leading figure for his longstanding practice that includes over 50 oral testimonies before international arbitration tribunals. He is seen as “a seasoned expert” with “the confidence and authority to succeed during cross-examinations”. Former head of disputes services at a Big Four accountancy firm, Frank Ilett is extensively experienced in accounting and financial expert evidence in domestic and international disputes. One source remarked: “As you would expect of someone with his stature and experience, you are assured quality work.”

Kroll comprises experts from the fields of investigations, intelligence, risk analysis, cyber security, data breach response and e-discovery. Since its establishment in 1972, the firm has assisted clients by uncovering fraud and corruption, and continues to “reign supreme” in this area receiving our award for the Asset Recovery Experts Firm of the Year 2016. Toronto-based Jennie Chan specialises in financial and internal investigations and has more than 20 years’ experience locating and recovering assets and funds. Hong Kong-based Violet Ho offers clients an “in-depth understanding of China’s business and legal environment” and her “stellar work” includes fraud prevention to fraud investigation, litigation support and asset recovery.

RBC Wealth Management aims its services as individuals, families and institutions providing advice and wealth management solutions. Its longstanding history and very modern approach to helping clients thrive is well received by the market, and this year the firm is singled out as our Private Client Trust and Advisory Firm of the Year. Key names to know include the “user-friendly” Paul Patterson and the “dynamic and creative” Julian Washington.